Sovereignty

A fancy-shmancy way of saying independence, especially of a state or nation.

Confederacy/Confederation

An alliance of sovereign tribes, states, nations, or star systems working together to achieve collective goals. Good examples? Why sure: the Iroquois Nation, the European Union, and pro sports leagues like the NBA.

Delegate

A representative: somebody who acts/speaks/votes on behalf of a group of constituents.

Second Continental Congress

The group of state delegates who acted as the government of the United States during the Revolutionary War.

The Congress oversaw the drafting and adoption of both the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Articles of Confederation (1777), which is almost as impressive as T. Swift's back-to-back albums of the year.

By the way, the First Continental Congress was started in 1774, after Britain smacked down Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. These dudes (and again, we're talking entirely about white dudes) basically ran the show during the Revolution.

Revolutionary War

Also known as the War of Independence, the American Revolution, or the Rumble of 1776 (that last name might only exist within the feverish confines of our history nerd skulls). The Articles of Confederation were in effect during the second half of the war and for a few years after it ended.

Continental Army

The army led by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, made up of militias from the states. They defeated the powerful British army, who were infamous for marching in straight, exposed, and very shoot-able lines.

Oh yeah: and for wearing easy-to-target snazzy red coats.

Jurisdiction

Describes where a legal body's authority applies. We all have to obey the rulings of the Supreme Court: it has jurisdiction over the entire nation.

Usage pro-tip: when dealing with a heroic-yet-maverick cop (probably with a troubled past), who lets the case get too personal, yell "You're out of your jurisdiction!"

Kings, Princes and Foreign States

In the late 1700s, most European countries were still monarchies.

So when referring to other countries, especially England, the drafters of the Articles of Confederation liked to bring up "kings, princes, and foreign states." This contrasted the United States—which had no kings or nobility of any kind—with all those stodgy old-school countries.

Federalism

A political philosophy of the late 1700s, which supported the creation of a strong national government balanced with state governments. (Source)

The Anti-Federalists, like Patrick Henry (the guy who say "Give me liberty or give me death," which is perhaps both the most patriotic and most metal quote ever) thought this would lead to tyranny or even another monarchy.

Luckily, George Washington never tried to put on a crown.

Nationalism

During the post-Revolutionary period, Americans who favored a strong national government were sometimes known as "Nationalists." If you were a staunch Nationalist, you were definitely rolling your eyes in the direction of the Articles of Confederation.

Mercantilism

The belief that government should support trade, industry, and commerce.

Alexander Hamilton, one of the leaders of the push for a strong central government, was a mercantilist and believed the U.S. should move toward being a nation of merchants, or businesspeople (which we now are).

That must be why they put him on the ten-dollar bill and wrote a mega-successful musical about him.